Omicron BA.5 is the scourge of the current pandemic.  It was first observed as a variant in February- and as of now, it is the primary reason why we are being overtaken with COVID infections.  Something like 80% of all positive results are due to this variant.

And, not surprisingly, this variant is not the primary immumologic target of our vaccines.  That’s because this variant has altered the unique key protein that was the target of our crash vaccine development.

As if that were not a big enough issue, this new variant has developed the ability to bind more tightly to cell membrane of the host cell in our body.  But, thankfully, it is less likely to bind to the ACE2 receptor.  This blood pressure regulator is one of the attachment points for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  That is why these infections are less virulent than the original versions of the virus.

It’s also why we MUST wear masks when indoors where strangers congregate- unless we are by an open window or far from others with a great ventilation system.  Even in open stadiums- if the venue is crowded, we should mask up.

And, if we do contract COVID (G-d forbid), it makes a difference if our symptoms are above the neck or below the neck.   Above the neck- we quarantine, but can keep our own personal routines.    Below the neck (shortness of breath, GI issues), then we need to rest until these symptoms have dissipated.  (Fever, body aches, dizziness?  They bed rest is the response.) For those below the neck symptoms, we can feel debilitated for somewhere between two and 6 weeks.

Part of our problem is the number of “free-standing” tests that exist.  Which means public health authorities don’t have a clear picture of the true infection rate.  The only monitoring they can do is when clinics report results, people get hospitalized, or are prescribed the antivirals.

But, it does mean that the official census of the infected is much higher than what is known.  As such, public health precautions (such as masks, shutting down indoor venues,etc.) are much less prevalent.  The CDC (Centers for Disease Control is reporting some 120K+ cases daily, with almost 6000 hospital admissions and 336 new deaths daily from this variant.

The only good news is that it is expected that both Pfizer/BioNTEch and Moderna will have inoculations against this variant available within 45 days; that should alleviate some of the rampant spread of the disease.

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